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Chuck Schumer
NY Vies For Florida’s High-Speed Rail Cash
Feb 16th - 5:26 pm
New York elected officials are scrambling to make a play for the $2.4 billion worth of federal high-speed rail cash rejected earlier today by Florida – a move that will again force the Obama administration to reallocate the funds.
Reps. Louise Slaughter and Paul Tonko wrote a letter to US Transportation Sceretary Ray LaHood (which appears in full after the jump) making a pitch for the Sunshine State’s spurned rail money, insisting that New York is committed to committed to its high-speed rail push “because we understand that an improved transportation system is vital to our national security.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer also released the following statement:
“Florida’s loss should be New York’s gain. Other states may not be ready to unlock the potential of high-speed rail, but it is a top priority for upstate New York. We can put these funds to use in a way that gets the best bang for the buck. The administration should redirect these funds to New York as quickly as possible.”
Obama has made high-speed rail a top priority and mentioned it in his State of the Union address. But three Republican governors, including Florida’s Rick Scott, are now opting to return the money, saying their states are too cash-strapped to hold up their end of the funding bargain.
Even before he took office, Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a pitch for the combined $1.26 billion worth of rail funds rejected by Ohio and Wisconsin.
New York ended up with $7.3 million of that money. The lion’s share – up to $624 million went to California. Washington State got $161.5 million and Illinois received $42.3 million. Also benefitting from the last reallocation of rail cash: Florida with $342.3 million,
New York is, of course, not the only state vying for Florida’s funds. California and Washington State are also making their desire for the money know.
EXCLUSIVE YNN/Marist Poll: Gillibrand Hits New Heights
Jan 28th - 9:00 pm
It seems that everywhere you turn these days, there’s Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
In Vogue. On the Senate floor delivering a passionate speech in support of the Zadroga bill. At a press conference receiving kudos from Sen. Chuck Schumer for her work on Zadroga and the repeal of DADT. On set with Jon Stewart, who called her “adorable.” On national TV talking about the recovery of her close friend, Rep. Gabby Giffords.
All this exposure – plus Gillibrand’s cruise to her first statewide victory last fall – has paid off in a big way for the former congresswoman-turned-junior-senator, whose job approval rating at hit an all-time high of 49 percent, according to a YNN/Marist poll.
Thirty-six percent of voters think Gillibrand is doing an “good” job, while 13 percent grade her performance as “excellent.” An October Marist poll found just 36 percent of voters giving the senator an above-average grade.
“This is the first time since being appointed to the U.S. Senate by former Governor David Paterson that Senator Gillibrand has established herself with New York voters in terms of her job performance,” said Marist pollster Lee Miringoff. “Voters see Gillibrand in a different light.”
Gillibrand has improved her standing with voters in every region of the state. The largest bump in her support came from members of her own party. Sixty-one percent of Democrats approve of the job she’s doing in the Senate, compared to just 45 percent back in October.
Schumer’s approval rating is also up, the poll found. Nearly six-in-10 voters (59 percent) think he’s doing an excellent or good job – that’s four percent higher than in the fall.
President Obama’s numbers on the rise in New York, too. He’s up to 53 percent from 45.
EMBARGOED_Complete January 28th, 2011 Poll Release and Tables
Schumer Press Shop Shuffle
Jan 18th - 2:31 pm
After spending four years as Sen. Chuck Schumer’s spokesman and two as his upstate press secretary, Max Young is moving on. Sort of.
Young is departing the senior senator’s office, but he isn’t going far.
On Feb. 1, he will be starting as director of Regional Media for the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee – the new entity created by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid specifically for Schumer to lead as the party heads into another difficult election cycle.
In this role, Schumer has officially become the Senate Democrats’ chief message maker, and he is embracing that role with relish, talking about the middle class and jobs at every turn.
Young, who has somehow managed to maintain composure and sanity in the whirlwind that is the Schumer communications boot camp, will be replaced by Matt House.
(An example of what a class act Young is…He included the following line in his “goodbye/moving on” e-mail to reporters: “Working here for the last two years has been a joy, and I am consistently in awe of the quality of the reporting that you all do on a daily basis.” Ah, yes, flattery will get you everywhere).
As far as I can tell, House last worked for former New Hampshire Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the US Senate as a self-professed “real fiscal conservative” in the 2010 cycle.
Schumer Blasts Christie Over ARC
Jan 18th - 11:52 am
Sen. Chuck Schumer did not mince words this morning in taking NJ Gov. Chris Christie to task for pulling the plug on the train tunnel project under the Hudson River in October, saying his fiscally-challenged state can’t afford it.
Speaking at the Crain’s breakfast in Manhattan this morning, the senior senator said the project was “not in the planning stages,” noting it had “explicit funding commitments” from both the federal government and the Port Authority. Construction was already underway.
“I will be honest and direct here,” Schumer said. “hough I am extremely sympathetic to the fiscal problems Governor Christie clearly faces, and I recognize there are not easy choices to make, I believe pulling the plug on ARC was a terrible, terrible decision.”
“Practically, by failing to increase our tunnel capacity, we are simply going to force more people into their cars,” Schumer continued. “You think traffic on the George Washington Bridge and in the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels is bad now, just wait.”
“And if you don’t think that’s a disincentive for people to come to this area, let alone to commute into New York, you haven’t spent enough waiting in the helix to get into the Lincoln Tunnel during rush hour.”
Schumer had quite a bit more to say on this topic, saying historians may look back on this moment as a “turning point” when the region – and even the nation – “stopping looking toward the future.” He suggested the country could end up paralyzed if it continues to axe big transportation projects.
The senator’s remarks (as prepared for delivery) appear in full after the jump.
Schumer On Safety For Elected Officials
Jan 10th - 11:14 am
Saturday’s shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has raised the question about how much protection – if any – members of Congress should have in the course of doing their jobs at a time when political rhetoric is unusually heated.
Here’s Sen. Chuck Schumer speaking on “Face the Nation” yesterday about how threats are inherently part of the job for elected officials and usually don’t amount to anything, although they are taken seriously.
“There are handful of threats that are made every…month,” Schumer said. “They investigate them thoroughly.”
“Almost inevitably, they tend to be people who are mentally unstable, not people with political motivation. In almost every case, those people make the threat but take no action, and they’re handled effectively and quietly.”
Zadroga Bill Signed Into Law
Jan 2nd - 3:58 pm
The Obama administration released the following statement this afternoon:
“On Sunday, January 2, 2011, the President signed into law: H.R. 847, the ‘James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act,’ which establishes the World Trade Center Health Program and extends and expands eligibility for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001.
Here’s a photo, compliments of the White House press office (as you can see, the president is still on vacation in Hawaii).
That was followed by a statements from various different NY pols who were key players in the long push to get this bill passed, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, who said:
After a long, arduous path with several near-defeats, this bill is finally law. The heroes who rushed to Ground Zero in the hours and days after the attacks will not be forgotten.”
“These first responders were like veterans, and this law keeps with a time-honored American tradition of standing by our veterans when they get harmed answering the call. We will begin work immediately to make sure this law gets renewed for another five years.”
…and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand:
“All Americans should be proud of this accomplishment. Our nation – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – all came together to do what was right and provide health care to the brave men and women who served with such heroism in the days and weeks following 9/11.”
“This was our undeniable moral obligation.”
“I commend President Obama for helping champion this effort and signing this bill into law. Today’s victory is for the first responders, fire fighters, police officers, every family and every volunteer who never gave up and made sure that Congress fulfilled its duty to the 9/11 heroes. We will always remember your sacrifice, and stand united behind you.”
Botherer-In-Chief
Dec 22nd - 4:03 pm
Sen. Chuck Schumer heaped praise on his colleague, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, at the press conference following the passage by this afternoon of the Zadroga bill, saying her doggedness was one of the main reasons the Democrats finally managed to forge a deal on the 9/11 health care legislation with the Republicans.
In fact, to hear Schumer tell it, the junior senator was downright relentless. So much so that she had some of her colleagues begging for mercy.
“She did an amazing job,” Schumer said. “She never gave up in the darkest of days and was indomitable.”
“You know, some of these senators said: Would you stop her from bothering me? And I said: No! And the result of all that hard work we see today. What a great victory for a new legislator, isn’t that fabulous. For any legislator, but for someone this new to do so much so soon is utterly amazing.”
Schumer To House: Please Stick Around For Zadroga Vote
Dec 21st - 6:38 pm
Sen. Chuck Schumer just released the following statement on the ongoing effort in Washington to pass the Zadroga bill:
“After speaking with Leader Reid, it appears that the 9-11 health bill will come up for a key vote in the Senate tomorrow, once the START Treaty is completed. It will be decision day in the Senate, and we will see once and for all who will keep their promise to never forget the heroes of 9/11.”
After this vote, we believe it will be clear that a supermajority of the Senate supports this bill. With the holidays fast approaching, we urge the Republicans to not drag this debate out needlessly.”
“We also ask the House of Representatives to remain in session so that this bill can become law before the end of the year. For our 9/11 first responders, the finish line is finally in view.”
Gillibrand Votes ‘No’ On Tax Cut Deal, Schumer Votes ‘Yes’ (Updated)
Dec 13th - 4:39 pm
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand voted “no” today on the cloture vote to end debate on the tax cut deal President Obama cut with the Republicans that has caused a civil war among his fellow Democrats.
Sixty votes were required to pass. The vote is still open to give senators time in inclement weather to return to the chamber. So far, the vote is 69-10, with nine Democrats and one Republican (Sen. John Ensign) voting “no.”
“I’m opposing this deal in its current form because right now we need to focus on the middle class, who are always left behind, not the people at the very top, who are doing just fine in this economy,” Gillibrand said.
“Although this deal includes important measures I have fiercely advocated for, extending Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy will saddle our children with billions of dollars of debt.”
“With unemployment near 10 percent and a growing budget deficit, every dollar in this deal should be spent in a way that creates jobs and gets our economy growing, and tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires do not create jobs and will not help our economy grow.”
“This kind of fiscal recklessness is bad for our economy and bad for future generations.”
UPDATE: Sen. Chuck Schumer, who had a falling out with the president over tax cuts and how hard to fight the Republicans, voted “yes” on cloture.
UPDATE2: Schumer’s statement appears in full after the jump.
Schumer: ‘No Room’ For A 3rd Party Candidate In 2012
Nov 24th - 5:00 pm
Sen. Chuck Schumer sent a subtle message to Mayor Bloomberg during a CapTon interview this afternoon, which I will take the liberty of summing up thusly: Don’t even think about it.
As speculation mounts (despite his claims to the contrary) that the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent billionaire mayor is again eyeing an independent run for president in 2012, Schumer told me he doesn’t believe there wiill be room for a third party contender if the Democrats do what they have to and….wait for it…focus on the middle class.
“Well, look, that’s a long ways away,” Schumer said. “I think that the message: Focus on the middle class. I think the Democrats, we Democrats at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, are going to do a much better job of that. And I don’t think there will be room for a third party candidate if we succeed.”
(That was in response to a question in which I referenced today’s WSJ story about a grassroots movement targeting the political middle that is connected to Bloomberg’s political advisor, former Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey).
Also out today: A new Marist poll that finds President Obama would win handily (45 percent) in a three-way hypothetical race that also included Sarah Palin (31 percent) and Bloomberg (15 percent) with 9 percent undecided.
The Schumer interview will air in full tonight at 8 p.m. and then re-air at 11:30 p.m. CapTon will then be taking a little Thanksgiving break, returning to the airwaves Monday.
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